Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Getting Started with Tea, Part 2

The second in a two-part series containing information from an article
that I wrote several years ago on getting started with the wonderful
world of tea.

Green Tea

Green tea is famous for its high level of
antioxidants. Green tea is by far one of the most popular tea styles, with
thousands of incarnations of it, ranging from fruity green teas to spicy green
teas. It is less oxidized than black and oolong teas, and care must be taken in
the steeping in order to not scald the leaves.

Water temperature: Not quite boiling. You
want the water to be fairly hot, but not boiling. Boiling, or just-boiled water
will scald the delicate leaves, giving you a bitter tasting cup of tea. If you
boil the water, do let it cool a bit before preparing the tea.

Steep time: Much like black tea, the length
of time the leaves are left in the water varies by personal taste. However,
steep times for green tea, on average, will be longer than steep times for
black tea.

White Tea

White tea, while less famous than green
tea, in fact has the highest antioxidant count of any tea, primarily coming
from it being the least oxidized of any tea. The leaves are extremely sensitive
and tender. However, a well made cup of white tea should be quite smooth and
refreshing.

Water temperature: Hot. If you see small
bubbles form in the water as it is heating, it is definitely hot enough.

Steep time: White teas typically have long
steep times. Some, in fact, can be left in the brewing vessel indefinitely,
like oolongs.

Rooibos

Rooibos, or rooibus, is not technically a
tea, containing no actual tea leaves. Instead, in contains leaves from the
African red bush. Rooibos come in a very wide variety of flavours. Naturally
sweet, it is often consumed for its antioxidants or as a refreshing midday
drink. Rooibos typically goes quite well with lunch.

Water temperature: Boiling.

Steep time: Indefinite. The leaves can be
left in as long as desired with no danger of a bitter cup.

(Yerba) Maté

Maté is another non-tea, instead being the
leaves of a South American plant. It has a high caffeine content and is drunk
many places in South America as an alternative
to coffee.

Water temperature: Boiling.

Steep time: To taste. Various mates taste
better stronger. It is usually an experiment, to find the optimal taste for
optimal steep time.

Herbals/Tisanes

Containing no tea at all, these are
typically blends of flowers, spices, fruits, and other herbs. If you can think
of it, it has probably been turned in to a tisane, the name for a blend that is
infused in hot water to make a beverage.

Water temperature: Boiling.

Steep time: To taste. It is hard to mess up
making an herbal. If it tastes too strong after you have steeped it, add more
water. If it is not strong enough, steep it longer. There is really no limit,
except your own personal preference.

I hope you enjoyed this brief primer on tea. Please do not hesitate to comment with any questions you might have. Feedback is also appreciated.